The Individual Field Placement Program Experiential Learning Tailored for You Informational Session March 19, 2018

What is an Individual Field Placement? Experiential learning opportunity in which the student Observes and performs legal work at a legal practice venue under supervision of an experienced attorney, Receives feedback and opportunities for self-evaluation, Reflects on that experience with guidance from a member of the faculty, and Earns law school credit corresponding to the hours of work performed Differs from other field placement courses in that there is no required classroom component (except for students seeking PBLR)

Credits Correspond to Hours Worked Credits are earned at rate of 56 hours of individual field placement (IFP) work per credit Academic year IFPs are generally 2 or 3 credits, 1 under limited circumstances PBLR-satisfying IFPs must be at least 3 credits Summer term IFPs may be up to 4 credits

Enrollment Restrictions 1L students may not enroll in an IFP until completion of first two semesters Students may earn no more than a total of 8 credits for IFP and SRP combined, and no more than 3 IFP credits during an academic semester and more than 4 in summer IFP credits are ungraded and count toward the maximum of 12 ungraded credits allowed toward degree Students on F-1 and J-1 visas must obtain work authorization from UCONN’s ISSS

Satisfying the PBLR Individual field placements will satisfy PBLR if: Student enrolls in IFP of at least 3 credits; Student is concurrently enrolled in the one-credit, graded Individual Field Placement Seminar Seminar enrollment occurs during course selection, but field placement enrollment may occur later Student does not need to have field placement secured when enrolling in seminar Seminar enrollment triggers counseling meeting with Field Placement Program Director

Starting the Individual Field Placement Selection Process Consider how an IFP fits into your overall course of study, your interests, and/or career plans Practice areas Legal skills Practice venues Geographical considerations

Identifying a Suitable Field Placement Pursue field placements that meet your educational and career goals Brainstorm plan of action with Field Placement Program Director Review list of approved/prior field placements Review other volunteer legal opportunities posted on Symplicity Network at CPC and CBA events, and at Law School symposia and conferences Talk to faculty members and practicing attorneys

Types of Field Placements Public Sector State and federal court clerkships, administrative agencies and departments, municipal legal departments Criminal Justice US and state’s attorneys, public defense Public Interest Organizations General and specialized legal services In-House Legal Departments General counsel for corporate and institutional clients Law Firms General and specialized practices, mostly small

Securing a Field Placement Contact potential field placements/supervisors Explain your goals, interests, and availability Provide any requested information: CV, writing sample, cover letter, transcript Follow selection procedures – interview, references If offered a position Understand the work opportunities available Set a schedule maximizing your educational experience Ensure that the field placement meets UCONN Law policies and new ABA Standards Handle contacts/communications professionally

ABA Standards for Field Placement Courses (Formerly “Externships”) A field placement course provides “substantial lawyering experience” that “is reasonably similar to the experience of a lawyer advising or representing a client or engaging in other lawyering tasks” under “the supervision of a licensed attorney” or person “otherwise qualified to supervise.” Must also include Opportunities for student performance, feedback and self-evaluation; Written understanding setting out the roles of student and supervisors; Faculty oversight of and communication with site supervisors; Classroom component or other means of “ongoing, contemporaneous, faculty-guided reflection”; and Evaluation of student’s educational achievement by a faculty member.

Field Placement Program Statement of Course Expectations Sets out the roles and responsibilities of Student, Site Supervisor and Faculty Supervisor in assuring the educational quality of the field placement experience. All participants in a field placement must certify to having read and understood the Course Expectations. Incorporated by reference on the field placement approval form required for enrollment.

Enrollment Process and Deadlines Enrollment requires a Field Placement Approval Form signed by the student, site supervisor and faculty supervisor Signatures indicate that parties have read and understood the Field Placement Course Expectations Approval forms must be submitted to the Field Placement Program Director no later than the end of the first week of the semester in which the student will enroll Late applications may be accepted but students may not earn credit for hours worked prior to the submission of a complete approval form Summer deadlines are more flexible, but the restriction on earning credit prior to submitting completed approval form still applies

Securing a Faculty Supervisor All IFPs must be supervised by a member of the full-time faculty For students taking the IFP seminar, the faculty supervisor is the seminar instructor. Non-seminar students must contact faculty members they know through classes or other activities or organizations, or who teach in the areas of law relevant to the field placement The faculty supervisor must approve the student’s proposed field placement and the type of work that the student will be assigned (specific on placement approval form) The faculty supervisor and student agree on the method by and frequency with which the student will submit journals and meet with the faculty supervisor during the field placement

Orientation Program All IFP students must attend an orientation program before beginning work at the field placement Review of: Enrollment process Record-keeping and reporting requirements Ethical and professional obligations Student practice rules Policies prohibiting discrimination, harassment and inappropriate romantic relationships Strategies for success in the workplace

Recordkeeping Requirements Weekly Work Logs TWEN submissions describing time spent and nature of work done Reflections or Journals Seminar and non-seminar students must engage in “ongoing, contemporaneous, faculty-guided reflection” Seminar students have periodic reflections built into seminar Non-seminar students must submit quarterly journal entries to faculty supervisor, with copy to Field Placement Program Director

Receiving Credit for the Individual Field Placement Complete work hours correlating to credits sought Make timely submission of worklog and reflection requirements Submit to Field Placement Program Director three evaluations: Student Placement Supervisor Faculty Supervisor

Why do an Individual Field Placement? Provides practice-based learning in substantive law, skills, and professional values Provides insight into career goals/preferences Provides work references/letters of recommendation Provides networking opportunities Provides potential employment opportunities Many students rate their field placement experience as a highlight of their legal education

Partnership Clinics and Other Field Placement Courses More Options for Experiential Learning and PBLR: Partnership Clinics include the Center for Children’s Advocacy, Connecticut Urban Legal Initiative (CULI), Elder Law Clinic, Environmental Law Clinic (at CT Fund for the Environment), and Veterans Benefits Clinic (with Ct. Veterans Legal Center) Other Field Placement Courses include the Center for Energy and Environmental Law (CEEL), Legislative, and State’s Attorney’s Field Placements Some clinics and other field placement courses permit students the option of working at the practice site as an individual field placement All partnership and specialized field placement courses have a specialized classroom component and satisfy PBLR, but may be offered only once a year and not in the summer

Questions? Consult Individual Field Placement Program Webpage https://www.law.uconn.edu/academics/clinics-experiential-learning/individual-field-placements Approval Forms, Course Expectations, and Answers to FAQ’s Contact Prof. Jennifer Mailly, Field Placement Program Director Jennifer.Mailly@uconn.edu 860-570-5216

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